Journal of Educational, Health and Community Psychology Miwa Patnani Vol. 2, No. 2, 2013

Description of Happiness on The Betawi People in Perkampungan Budaya Betawi Setu Babakan

Miwa Patnani Department of Psychology YARSI University [email protected]

Abstract Happiness is an important thing in human life, so it’s not surprisingly that people tend to do anything they could to be happy in their life. So do the Betawi people which is known as the indigenous people in Jakarta. Betawi people now facing the unpleasant reality in spite of their inability to compete with the migrants community who come and dominate the economy growth in Jakarta. This inability to compete, forces the Betawi people to move from downtown to the suburbs of Jakarta. Another impact of this inability to compete is the low level of welfare among the Betawi people, which is in turn, affects their feeling of happy. This study aimed to describe the happiness among Betawi People who lived in Perkampungan Budaya Betawi Setu Babakan, .Happiness questionaire was used to collect the data from 55 Betawi People. This questionaire consist of some open question and some question with alternative choices. Open questions describe the definition and sources of happiness, while question with alternative choices describe the level of happiness. The result showed that the subject of this study is quitely happy. The definition of happiness answered by the subject was categorized then, and finally revealed 7 themes: relationship within the family member, something correlated with material, having a peacefull life, something really important, achieving for what they want, physical health and to share with other people. Meanwhile, categorization on the sources of happiness found 8 sources: relationship within the family, materials, giving happiness to their beloved ones, relationship with spouses, physical health, having children, success and developing Betawi culture. Keywords: happiness, level, meaning, sources, Betawi

Introduction to the do and don’ts according to their religion’s values. It would be obvious that everyone want to be happy, and they will do anything in order to be Refers to Aristoteles (William et al, 2006) happy. According to Sapuri (2009), all human happiness is a perfect condition so that everyone being have the same expectation, to life in peace will try to get it. Similar to Aristoteles, James and happiness so that everyone should share (William et al, 2006) assumed that since their happiness to make other people happy. Al happiness was really important, the way to be Ghazali (in Sapuri, 2009) said that people will get happy is become a major attention for people all the perfect happiness only when they sincerely the time. Veenhoven (in Abdel-Khalek, 2006) pray to God. It means that people should obey called happiness as a life satisfaction, and defined

75 Journal of Educational, Health and Community Psychology Miwa Patnani Vol. 2, No. 2, 2013 it as a level of one’s evaluation about their own that there was a differences in happiness among life. the population of different countries, eventhough the income variable was fully being controlled. In According to Schimmel (2009), it was a quiet addition, it was revealed that African American confusing terms between happiness, subjective people was happier than Europian American. well- being, life satisfaction and quality of life. Schimmel (2009) assumed that for the Compared with this finding, as a purpose of his study, those terms were used multicultural country surely have so many interchangeably. According to Diener (2000), cultural differences, so that it would be interesting subjective well-being in colloquial terms is to understand happiness among those different sometimes labeled happiness. So in this study cultures. Betawi, was one of Indonesian unique I considered happiness as the same meaning culture, said to be the original population of the as subjective well-being. But there was a quite capital city, Jakarta. Just like another culture, little differences between those terms. Happiness Betawi people certainly want to be happy. But, refers to positive emotion, while subjective well as the developing of the city, Betawi people was being refers to either positive and negative said to be marginalized and not able to compete emotions (Diener & Ryan, 2009). Despite of the with the migrants who occupied and dominated differences, both of happiness and subjective the city. well being refer to one’s evaluation about his Center for Indonesian Regional and Urban life. Diener et al (2000) assumed that there were Studies or CIRUS, noted from their survey that three components to evaluate one’s subjective about 54% of Betawi people was categorized well-being; people’s emotional responses, as poor (Al Hadi, 2012). In addition, a study by domain satisfaction and global judgement of Aryanti (2011) showed that when comparing the life satisfaction. We can conlude then,highly income level between Betawi people and the subjective well being people, will have high migrants, it was revealed that Betawi people has frequency of positive affection, low frequency a lower income than the migrants. This finding of negative affection, satisfied with important implied that Betawi people’s welfare was not as domains in their life and surely feel satisfied high as the migrants. Surely, this condition would with their own life. be the best description of the Betawi people’s low Happiness was not affected by certain welfare which lead to the unhappiness condition. characteristics, considering a study by Myers Happiness was affected by so many things which & Dienner (1995) showed that happines was were varied in different people. According to possessed by everyone regardless their ages, Diener & Ryan (2009), happines was affected sexes, culture and income. It means that by emotional intelligence, religiousity, social everybody deserve to be happy no matter what relation, occupation and income. It means that their skin colour, occupation or their cultural people who have a good emotional intelligence, values. However, Myers & Dienner (1995) said

76 Journal of Educational, Health and Community Psychology Miwa Patnani Vol. 2, No. 2, 2013 pray to God, have a good relationship with others, It showed by 36 % of the participants were have a good job and income, will be the happy graduate from their high school, 31% graduated one. A study of Chinese in Taiwan (Lu & Shih, from elementary school, 27% graduated from 1997) showed that sources of happiness were: junior high school and only 6% graduated from need to be respected, interpersonal relationship, university level. material satisfaction, achievement in work, peacefull and meaningfull life, feeling lucky, Procedure control and actualization, joyfull dan health. Snow ball technique was used to get information about happiness among Betawi people who live Method in Perkampungan Budaya Betawi Setu Babakan. Although named Perkampungan budaya Betawi, Participant but in fact not all the habitant was Betawi ethnicity. This study took place in Perkampungan Budaya So I started from the head of the village who was Betawi Setu Babakan, located at the suburban a Betawi people, then from him I was refered areas of Srengseng Sawah, , South to another Betawi people and so on.Before the Jakarta. Fifty five Betawi people who live in participants were given the questionnaire, I have Perkampungan Budaya Betawi Setu Babakan asked for their permission. Some selected person, were participated in this study, consist of 43 unfortunately, were reluctance to participate in females and 12 males, with age varied from 18 this study, so I have to ask them to refer me to years to more than 50 years. These participants’ another Betawi people. Data collected by giving age were mostly in range 31-40 years (42 %), them the questionnaire, and then they write down and 21-30 years (19%). It showed that most their answer. Some participants gave short and of the participant of this study were on the brief answers, so I have to ask them to expand productive ages. Most of these participants were their answer so it could be analyzed then. For the still in marriage (93%), and only small number participants who can’t read, particularly in some participant reported themselves as widow (5%) old age participants, I read them the questions and not yet married (2%). About 35% of the and write down their answers. Probing was participantshave two children, indicated that needed here because some participants tend to most of the participants complied the family answer in a short way. planning program. Female dominated in this study was shown by the percentage of occupation Measures as full housewife (56%). Meanwhile, the male participants have varied occupation such as food Data was collected by using the happines seller, farmer and entrepreneur. Educational questionaire. This questionaire aimed to background of the participant was quietly varied. measure either happiness data or demography

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data. Happiness data consist of three questions. Meaning of happiness Percentage The first question was asked about the level of Relationship with the family member 31% happiness, which a three choices answer: very Achieve forwhat they want 7% happy, quiet happy and not happy. The second Something that really important 11% one was asked about the meaning of happiness, To share with other people 2% and the participants could write down whatever Blank 2% their answer in a blank sheet. The last one was asked about the sources of happiness.It was possible for participants to give more than Table 3 one answer to the third question. Meanwhile, Sources of Happiness demography data was informed about age, sex, Sources of happiness Percentage marital status, number of children, education and Giving happiness to their beloved one 14% subject’s occupation. Physical health 11% Relationship within family 24% Success 5% Result Relationship with spouse 13% Happiness questionnaire measured the happiness Material things 20% level, meaning of happiness and sources of Having children 11% happiness. Result from this data summarized in Developing Betawi culture 2% tables below.

Table 1 Discussion Summary of Happiness Level Majority of the participant were reported that Happiness level Percentage they feel quietly happy (78%), and only 6% Very happy 18% who considered them as not happy. We fully Quiet happy 76% understand that most of people would rather Not happy 6% place them self in the middle level, so when they asked whether they very happy or quiet happy, Table 2 they would like to say that they quietly happy. Summary of Happiness Meaning In addition, according to Veenhoven (1994), a longitudinal study shown that happiness was Meaning of happiness Percentage relatively constant for short time, but not for a Physical Health 7% long time. It means that happiness in participant Life in peace 18% of the study was affected by situational factors, Something correlated with material 22% for example having negative affect as a result of

78 Journal of Educational, Health and Community Psychology Miwa Patnani Vol. 2, No. 2, 2013 marital or economy problems. These problems satisfaction, in turn, will affected our happiness. would lead to a feeling of not satisfied with their About 18% of the participant stated that their own life.Remember that according to Diener happiness was related to peaceful life. Life in (2000), highly subjective well-being people have peace means that they were not in any conflict low level of negative effect and have a high life with the others. From my opinion, this answer satisfaction, so we conclude that negative affect probably related to the characteristic of Betawi and dissatisfaction with life were the indicators people who keep the values of their culture and of unhappiness then. I think that was the reason religion (Ardyan, 2011). Their conformity to why participant of this study tend to answer that religion, that is, Islamic values, has made the their happiness was on the middle level. Betawi people to life in a simple and peaceful As much as 31% of the participants have way, not pushing too hard to get materials in reported the meaning of happiness was related their life. to relationship within the family. This including Sirgy & Wu (2009), conclude that happiness also relationship with the spouse, children or another being affected by a balanced life, that happened member of extended family. It seems that this when there was a balance between survive needs answer was related to participants’ answer to (biological, safety, economic) and growth need the sources of happiness question. About 24% (social, esteem, self-actualization, knowledge of participants stated that the most important and aesthetic needs). Having a balanced life sources of their happiness were relationship will help people to have a peaceful mind. This with their family. Most of this participants balance would never be attained when people said that they feel happy when they have no only focus on their needs fulfillment. problems in home and all family member were life in harmony. It’s not such a surprise anyway, Another theme that has been emerged from the considering that Betawi people were best known participants’ answers was that happiness related as the community who have strong values about to something really important in life, as shown family relationship. by 11 percentages of the participants. It was supported by James (Williams et al, 2006) stated Although there was a word saying that money that happiness was such an important thing so can’t buy happiness, but material things was that people considered it as a main purpose of clearly has an important role in one’s happiness. their life. Even though the participants didn’t This was shown by 22% of participants who say exactly what happiness mean to them, but defined happiness related to the material things. they considered it as a priority in their life. It Also, this was supported by 20% of participants means that happiness was an important thing who reported that material was another important and become a major purpose of their life. Many source of their happiness. It seems that, even efforts then will be undertaken in order to be though money is not everything, but money happy. enabling us to meet our needs that lead to life

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Achievements, was considered as a meaning of difficult for people with sickness to enjoy their happiness to only 7% participants. It supported life. Difficulties in enjoying life will lead people by the study from Uchida et all (2004) showed to feel dissatisfied with their life and finally make that in north America, happiness mostly related them unhappy. to individual achievement so that self-esteem was To share with other people was another meaning the most important predictor to evaluate one’s of happiness according to 2% of the participants. happiness, meanwhile in east Asia, happiness To share with other referred to a helping was related to interpersonal relationship so one’s behavior, that is, help or give an aid to somebody engagement in social relation was the most else. It was supported by 18% participants who important predictor to evaluate their happiness. said that make their beloved ones happy was one About 7% of the participants reported that they of their sources of happiness. The tendency to felt happy when they achieve for what they want. share happiness probably related to a fact that This achievement was related to achievement in the participants of this study were dominated by workplace or achievement in studying. It also woman. According to Crossley & Langdridge supported by 5% participants who considered (2005), woman considered the most important success as one of their sources of happiness. It sources of happiness were feeling of being loved, was assumed that people will feel happy when friendship, self-confidence, physical health, they get something that they really want, and close relationship with family dan helping the it considered as a success for them. A study by others. Lu & Shih (Lu et al, 2001), showed that one of Another source of happiness emerged from this the happiness component was achievement in study was having children. It was reported by workplace. 11% of the participants. With their strong values About 7% of the participants said that happiness on family relationship, Betawi people considered was related to physical health, their own or children as their sources of happiness. Study by their families’ health. It also supported by 11% Angeles (2010) reported that there was a positive participants who considered health as one of relationship between having children and life their sources of happiness. It’s not surprisingly satisfaction among the married couple. It means when we compared the study of Argyle et al (Lu that when married couple having children, they & Shih, 1997), revealed that one of the happiness tend to satisfied with their married and their life component was physical health. A study by Lu in general. With life satisfaction, it will easier for & Shih (1997) also revealed that physical health people to get their happiness in life. was one of the sources of happiness. Physical From the discussion above, I conclude that health seems to be a significant aspect that Betawi people in Perkampungan Budaya affected how people will enjoy their life. People Betawi Setu Babakan were quietly happy, and with good physical health will be able to enjoy their happiness was mostly related to family and having fun with their life, meanwhile it was

80 Journal of Educational, Health and Community Psychology Miwa Patnani Vol. 2, No. 2, 2013 relationship. This conclusion have the same considered the social relationship as the most description as the study by Uchida et al (2004), important factor of their happiness. In Betawi revealed that in North America, self-esteem people, social relationship mostly related to was the most important predictor of happiness, family relationship. It might correlate to their while in East Asia, social relationship was the strong values of family relationship. It comes to most important one. Betawi people, as a part of our mind that, happiness belongs to all people, Asian culture, of course has the same values and but its nature probably unique in different culture.

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